Tennessee Titans (4-9) vs. New York Jets (6-7)

Nashville, TN – This week the national spotlight descends upon Tennessee as the Titans (4-9) host the New York Jets (6-7) on Monday Night Football. Kickoff at LP Field (capacity 69,143) is scheduled for 7:30pm CT on Monday, December 17th.

This week’s game will be televised to a national audience on ESPN. Mike Tirico will handle play-by-play duties while Jon Gruden provides analysis. Lisa Salters will be the sideline reporter. In the Nashville market, the ESPN broadcast will be carried by News 2 WKRN.The Titans Radio Network, including Nashville flagship 104.5 The Zone, will broadcast the game across the Mid-South with the “Voice of the Titans” Mike Keith, color commentator Frank Wycheck, sideline reporter Cody Allison and gameday host Larry Stone.

Additionally, Dial Global Sports will broadcast the game to a national radio audience. Kevin Harlan (play-by-play), Dan Fouts (analyst) and Tony Boselli (sideline reporter) have the call.

The game can be heard locally on 1400am WJZM.

Titans On Monday Night Stage

The Titans will take center stage on Monday Night Football for the 37th time in franchise history and the first time since October 18th, 2010 at the Jacksonville Jaguars. They enter the game with a 20-16 all-time record in Monday night games, including a current three-game winning streak.

Mike Munchak will record his first Monday night game and his second primetime contest as a head coach. Munchak, who took the reigns in 2011, did not coach a primetime game in his first season at the helm. Earlier in 2012, the Titans defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 26-23 on Thursday night (October 11th).

This week’s game marks the second all-time Monday night matchup between the Titans and Jets. On December 1st, 2003, the Jets used the primetime showcase to defeat the Titans at the Meadowlands 24-17.

Last Week

Last week the Titans traveled to Indianapolis and fell to the Colts by a final score of 27-23. The Titans took a 13-point lead into halftime, but in the second half, the Colts turned a pair of interceptions into 10 total points to clinch the victory.

In defeat, Tennessee quarterback Jake Locker completed 22 of 35 passes for 262 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions. He completed an 18-yard touchdown pass to tight end Jared Cook, but his primary target was wide receiver Kenny Britt, who caught eight passes for 143 yards.

Britt’s reception and receiving yardage totals were each the second-highest of his four-year career. Rob Bironas provided three field goals, and Tennessee’s other touchdown came on a 40-yard interception return by linebacker Will Witherspoon.

Additionally, running back Chris Johnson went over the 1,000-yard rushing mark for the season. In doing so, he became the eighth player in NFL history with 1,000 or more rushing yards in the first five seasons of his career. Johnson joined an elite list that also includes Barry Sanders (1989-98), Corey Dillon (1997-02), Curtis Martin (1995-04), Eddie George (1996-00), Eric Dickerson (1983-89), LaDainian Tomlinson (2001-08) and Tony Dorsett (1977-81).

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The Jets

The Jets, winners of two consecutive games and three of their last four contests, are in second place in the AFC East behind the New England Patriots, who have clinched the division title. Last week the Jets went to Jacksonville and earned a 17-10 victory to stay alive in the Wild Card race.

Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez, currently in his fourth NFL season, has started all 13 games this season. He has completed 216 of 390 passes for 2,547 yards, 12 touchdowns and 13 interceptions.

Rex Ryan is in his fourth season as head coach of the Jets. In his first three seasons, the Jets defense finished first (2009), third (2010) and fifth (2011) in the NFL, respectively. This year, the Jets defense is ranked eighth overall and third against the pass.

Titans-Jets Series At A Glance

Overall series (regular & postseason): Titans lead 22-17-1

Regular season series: Titans lead 21-17-1

Postseason series: Titans lead 1-0

Total points: Titans 951, Jets 853

Current streak: Two wins by Jets

Titans at home vs. Jets: 16-6 (including 1-0 in playoffs)

Titans on road vs. Jets: 6-11-1

Longest winning streak by Titans: 6 (twice, last 1991-96)

Longest losing streak by Titans: 4 (1968-69)

Titans vs. Jets at LP Field: 1-2

Last time at LP Field: JETS 34 at Titans 13 (11/23/08)

Titans vs. Jets at MetLife Stadium: 0-0

Last time at MetLife Stadium: (none)

Last time at the Meadowlands: Titans 17 at JETS 24 (9/27/09)

First time: N.Y. Titans 21 at OILERS 27 (10/9/60)

Mike Munchak’s record vs. Jets: 0-0

Rex Ryan’s record vs. Titans: 1-0

Mike Munchak’s record vs. Rex Ryan: 0-0

A Titans Victory Would

Improve the Titans’ all-time record against the Jets to 23-17-1 (including playoffs).

Give the Titans an all-time record of 68-43 in regular season games at LP Field, including a 3-4 mark in 2012.

Give the Titans an all-time record on Monday Night Football of 21-16 and a 5-2 Monday Night Football record at LP Field.

Improve Mike Munchak’s career record as a head coach to 14-16.

Give Jake Locker a 3-6 career record as a starting quarterback.

What To Look For This Week

K Rob Bironas (99 points in 2012) needs one point to record his sixth career season with 100 points, second only in franchise history behind Al Del Greco (eight). Bironas would tie Del Greco’s team record for most consecutive 100-point seasons (six).

WR Kenny Britt (40 receptions in 2012) needs three receptions to set a new career high for catches in a season (42 in 2009 and 2010).

RB Chris Johnson can record the 33rd 100-yard rushing game of his career and his fifth of 2012.

RB Chris Johnson (1,037 rushing yards in 2012) needs 63 rushing yards to record his fourth career season with 1,100 or more rushing yards.

WR Nate Washington can extend his streak of consecutive games with at least one reception to 76 (62 games with the Titans).

WR Kendall Wright (59 receptions) needs three receptions to pass Ernest Givins (61 in 1986) for second place on the team’s all-time rookie receptions list.

Titans-Jets Series History

This is the 41st all-time meeting between the Titans and Jets in 53 seasons. The Titans are 22-17-1 in the series, including 1-0 in the playoffs. This will be the first time the Titans and Jets have met in three years after playing four consecutive seasons from 2006–2009.

This week’s game marks the second all-time matchup between the Titans and Jets on Monday Night Football. On Monday, December 1st, 2003, the Jets defeated the Titans at the Meadowlands by a final score of 24-17.

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The Jets have won five out of the last six meetings, dating back to 1998. The lone Titans win during that timeframe was a 10-6 victory on December 23rd, 2007 at LP Field. In that game, Jets quarterback Chad Pennington was sacked six times and intercepted twice. A Chris Brown touchdown run and Rob Bironas field goal accounted for Tennessee’s scoring.

In 2008, the Jets, led by quarterback Brett Favre, ended Tennessee’s streak of 10 consecutive victories to start the season. Behind Favre, who passed for 224 yards and two touchdowns, the Jets totaled 409 yards and controlled the ball for more than 40 minutes in the game. Jets running back Thomas Jones led all ball carriers in the contest with 96 yards on 27 attempts, and Leon Washington added 82 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

Then, on September 27th, 2009, the Titans came back from an early 14-point deficit against the Jets to take a 17-14 lead in the third quarter. However, four turnovers, including two interceptions and two fumbles on special teams, were too untimely to overcome, and the Jets prevailed
24-17.

The Jets, like the Titans, were charter members of the American Football League. From the league’s founding in 1960 through the 1962 season, they played as the New York Titans before being renamed the Jets for the 1963 season. With the exception of 1967, the Jets and Oilers played twice each season from 1960-69, and the Oilers won the first six meetings in the series.

In 1991, the Oilers began another string of six consecutive victories against the Jets, including a 17-10 victory in a 1991 AFC Wild Card Game.

Titans-Jets: The Last Meeting

Tennessee Titans 17 at New York Jets 24
Sunday, September 27th, 2009
Meadowlands, East Rutherford, NJ

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2

3

4

Final

Tennessee Titans

0

10

7

0

17

New York Jets

14

0

7

3

24

Four costly turnovers by the Titans helped lead to their third consecutive loss to begin the 2009 season, as they fell 24-17 to the Jets on a rainy day at the Meadowlands.

Jets rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez ran for one touchdown and passed for two more, and his connections to wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery in the second half played a large role in their victory.

Meanwhile, the Titans’ 286 yards of offense were more than the Jets gained (229), but a 4-14 performance on third down and two interceptions were too much to overcome.

The Jets took a 14-0 lead before the Titans offense had a chance to touch the ball. After receiving the opening kickoff, the Jets drove 73 yards on 10 plays and scored when Sanchez ran the ball in from the 14-yard line.

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On the ensuing kickoff, Jason Trusnik forced Ryan Mouton to fumble and then recovered the ball, giving it back to the Jets at the Tennessee 19-yard line. Five plays later, Sanchez found tight end Ben Hartsock in the end zone for a two-yard touchdown pass.

The Titans struck for the first time early in the second quarter. With the Jets driving, Titans defensive tackle Tony Brown sacked Sanchez and forced a fumble. Jevon Kearse’s recovery gave the Titans possession at their own 45-yard line. Keyed by a 16-yard pass from Collins to Nate Washington on a third-and-eight, they marched 55 yards on 10 plays and scored when LenDale White ran the ball for a five-yard touchdown on his fifth consecutive carry.

Late in the second quarter, the Titans took another step toward evening the game. With 1:54 on the clock, Collins drove the offense 60 yards on 12 plays, and Rob Bironas’ 38-yard field goal made the score 14-10 going into halftime.

The Titans maintained their tempo early in the third quarter. After the Jets’ opening kickoff of the quarter went out of bounds, the Titans started at the 40-yard line and, highlighted by a 27-yard pass on third down to Kenny Britt, they drove to the Jets’ nine-yard line. Then, Collins found Washington in the end zone for a touchdown. For the first time in the game, the Titans had the lead at 17-14.

The Jets regained the lead later in the third quarter. Mouton muffed a punt while attempting to make a fair catch. Larry Izzo recovered for the Jets, and it took just four plays for Sanchez to hit Cotchery for a six-yard touchdown completion.

Early in the fourth quarter, Sanchez completed a 46-yard pass to Cotchery that was upheld upon a Tennessee replay challenge. The catch led to a 30-yard field goal by Jay Feely that proved to be the final score of the game.